


Rose Petals

by LunarDust



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Background Rose/Jannah, Blood, Drinking blood, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, HEA, Human/Vampire Relationship, Minor Character Death, No Pregnancy, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rey Nobody, Slow Burn, Soulmates, Threats of Violence, Unreliable Narrator, background finn/poe - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:53:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23396557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunarDust/pseuds/LunarDust
Summary: Kylo joins a dating app on a whim, and is ecstatic when he matches with a beautiful woman named Kira, who agrees to go on a date with him.It's a shame she kind of wants to eradicate his kind.It's also a shame she's cute.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 26
Kudos: 75





	1. Mistaken Identities

**Author's Note:**

> Hello I haven't posted anything since... 2015? Hi.
> 
> Trying to get back in the habit of writing, since I've found myself with a lot of free time, recently. And I probably shouldn't be playing animal crossing 12 hours a day.
> 
> I have no beta or anything, so all mistakes are my own.
> 
> Find me on twitter @dustdulune.

Kylo isn’t exactly sure how he got into this mess.

He can certainly remember all the steps leading up to it -- installing the dating app on his phone, swiping right on one of the most beautiful women he’s ever seen, actually _matching_ with her, of all things, her agreeing to meet him for dinner.

After, if Poe were to ask him, he could most certainly regale him with every single detail leading up to this… event. But he’s still left wondering _how_ , exactly, he got here.

_“Murderer,”_ his date, Kira, hisses out between clenched teeth. Fortunately for Kylo, their location is probably saving his ass right now. A respectable Thai place, a tad on the expensive side, and Kylo had been eager to impress her when Kira said she’d never really had Thai food before. Not the sort of place she would want to make a scene.

Her face is scrunched up, her jaw locked tight, and her knuckles are turning white from how hard she’s holding the metal knife.

Kira is clearly pissed at him. Angry; ready to maim and murder. His unfortunate brain chooses this time to focus on her green eyes, how her nose scrunches while she glares at him. Her lips, soft and shiny looking, remind him of rose petals. And her _scent_ , something light and sweet that makes his mouth water. He wants that scent in his home, wants to bottle it and scent it daily. It keeps him calm, forcing his logical _you're about to die, idiot_ , part of his brain to take a backseat. 

_“Vampire.”_ She all but growls at him, too low for any patrons to catch, but nothing tends to escape his hearing. A blessing and a curse, really.

_Oh no,_ his last brain cell whispers to him, _oh no, she’s cute._

-

This dinner was going to be hell.

Hell, because Kira seems determined to _not_ calm down. She hasn’t gotten up, hasn’t raged or made a scene, and Kylo’s relieved about that. There are rules involved, laws, and most of them boil down to keeping the existence of his kind a _secret_ . However, she has clearly made it _extremely_ obvious she knows _what_ he is, which leads him to suspect what _she_ is. A Hunter.

Just his luck, of course, that the woman he matched with on some random dating app, that he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about for the past _week_ , is determined to eradicate his species.

That thought doesn’t stop his fluttering heart or pounding blood.

She’s just so… radiant. Tanned, golden skin, bright eyes. There's a blush dusted along her cheekbones, probably a result of anger, but the sight causes Kylo to gulp. There are freckles there; he can just make them out under the thin layer of makeup.

He wishes he could see them clearly. Count them.

"What the _fuck_ are you doing here," Kira's voice is low, quiet enough that their conversation won't be overheard by the surrounding patients.

Kylo waits a beat to collect himself. Even her _voice_ , lightly accented, sends him reeling. "I… am on a date."

"You are _not."_

"Well, I _was,_ " Kylo bites his lip, quelling the feeling of disappointment. 

Kira is clearly unconvinced, and she hasn't even _looked_ at the menu. Her attention is wholly on him. He sees her knuckles tighten further around the knife. "You were _hunting_ , weren't you?"

"I think that's more what you do, actually."

That causes Kira to pause, her grip loosening on the knife. Her face relaxes, just a touch, and Kylo wishes it would relax further. "I wasn't, actually." She doesn't elaborate, and Kylo doesn't speak either, just taking in her presence as it softens. Her anger, he must admit, is radiant and bright. But he longs for her to relax, to maybe even _enjoy_ herself. "Why would you even choose a restaurant for a date? Your kind don't eat."

Kylo frowns at that. "We can," he corrects.

"No, you can't."

"Yes we can," they could, technically. Vampire body’s could digest small amounts of food, though absorbing energy - calories - was now terribly inefficient. It was somewhat useful and could extend the length of time needed between feedings, though many vampires didn’t bother. Food was nearly tasteless to them. Their bodies no longer needed or craved the energy it used to provide, and the taste reflected that. “Who told you that?”

Kira's glare sharpens, and then it clicks for him. "Oh, you're not a graduated Hunter; you're an Apprentice."

_"No."_

"Who's your Master?" Kylo asks, curious. There aren't many left, as far as he knows. He's been in this game for a long time, and keeping track of Hunters means staying alive… well, undead. Unburnt. Not buried six feet under with a stake through his unbeating heart and useless Christian paraphernalia thrown about his grave. He only knows a few that still take on Apprentices, maybe less than a dozen in North America. If there have been any changes, he needs to know.

Especially if… a certain someone is training, again.

Any tension Kira had lost returns to her, her posture hardening into sharp lines. "Why, so you can _kill_ him?" Her grip tightens on the knife, and she takes a breath before seeming to center herself. "It doesn't matter, anyway. I don't have a Master."

_Him?_ Interesting. Kylo tucks that away for later. On the off chance there is a _later_.

"Hunting isn't something that tends to be… self taught." 

"Well, I did."

Kylo leans back in his seat, humming softly. "Impressive."

Kira blinks at that, her posture softening in what Kylo can only deduce as _surprise_. She's silent for a moment, large, bright eyes blinking owlishly at him. 

_Beautiful._

God, he's fucked. This woman clearly wants to drive that knife clean through his body, and he can't stop sneaking glances at her goddamn freckles. They're dappled along her shoulders, the black halter dress she chose to wear giving him plenty of skin to take in.

_Down, boy._

Kylo clears his throat. "Are you going to order?" He's been fidgeting with the pages of the menu, his hands needing to _move_ before they do something that will probably end with him skewed and burning.

He really wants to reach for her hand. Badly. Feel her skin, warm and smooth under his hand. He wants to do something, anything, that'll get her to relax, to calm down.

Kira doesn't say anything.

"It's my treat." He reminds her.

Something changes in her posture, though Kylo can't put his finger on what, exactly. Maybe she becomes less murderous, more suspicious.

"Your… treat." She parrots at him.

"Yes."

"Why would you pay for my meal?"

He frowns at that. "Well, for one, I chose the restaurant. It's only polite; I have no idea what your financial situation is." Money hasn't been an issue for him in… quite some time. On top of that, he's already developed this strange instinct to _spoil_ her as much as he can. Best Kira not find out about that, though. "For another, you said you hadn't had Thai before, and it's my duty to introduce you to such things."

She still doesn't look convinced. "So you're paying."

"I thought I made that pretty clear, actually."

Kira looks at him, and glances down at the menu. The first time tonight that she's taken her eyes off him, actually. _No, come back. Look at me. Look at me._

She attacks the menu with as much enthusiasm as Kylo’s certain she’d like to attack _him_ with. Flipping through the pages with a hungry look on her face.

With her posture loosened and her body language more relaxed, Kylo decides now is the perfect opportunity for... Normal conversation. “So, Kira--”

“Rey,” she interrupts, still glancing through the menu.

“I’m sorry?”

“My name,” she says, “it’s not Kira. That’s a pseudonym. My name is Rey.”

“Oh,” it didn't occur to him that she might use a fake name. “Why?”

“Why would I use a fake name when going on a date with a complete stranger, not knowing what was going to happen?”

His traitorous heart flutters at her mention of _date_. “You thought you were meeting a human, though.” He points out simply. “Not a vampire. Surely a Hunter -- even self taught -- could take down any regular old human who was giving her trouble.”

_Rey_ . It suits her, Kylo thinks. More than _Kira_ , especially now that she’s not determined to carve his heart out of his chest. 

With how the evening’s going, through, she may not need to.

She glances back up at him, eyes locking with his. “Surely your name isn’t actually _Ben_.”

He glances down.

_“No,”_ he can hear the humour in her voice. It almost makes this worth it. Kylo knows if he could blush, the flush would be a dead giveaway. _“Really?”_

In truth, Kylo forgot he used that name when he joined the app. It seemed smart at the time. Rey wasn’t wrong to assume; some vampires still chose to hunt humans, and some take very… creative means of doing so. Given his status, he didn’t want any of his… peers, finding him. Learning what he was doing. Reporting back to Snoke. “It was… my human name,” he mutters the confession, low enough that he’s sure Rey would have to strain to hear him. “Everyone calls me Kylo, now.”

“Kylo…” She repeats, then makes a face. _So expressive_ . Her nose scrunches, and she looks up at the ceiling, thinking for a moment. _So cute._ “That’s a stupid name, Ben.”

He doesn’t correct her.


	2. Just Keep Talking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You know how this looks, right?” Rey growls low, staring at him. She barely ever seems to look away from him, watching every nervous tic of his, waiting for a sign when this human mask he wears will come off. He can feel it. “ If you walk me home, you’ll have my address. You can break in at any time, drain me dry, kill me--”
> 
> “I don’t want to kill you, Rey.”

Rey eats like she’s never seen food before.

Which makes Kylo frown. He hopes she’s just enthused about the dish she ordered, some green curry served inside a coconut. It looks good enough, though he knows it wouldn’t do much to satisfy him. He imagines her going back to some tiny, run down apartment in the middle of a dangerous neighbourhood, shelves bare save for a few canned goods, and his worry grows.

His own meal is a small appetizer. He offered to share some with Rey when she was eying it, and she quickly took a bite. Then immediately needed water.

“You, uh,” she says, after Kylo is certain she’s drunk nearly her weight in water, “you like spice, then, right?”

“Yes,” he admits. “We don’t really… taste much. Not of human food. Meat has some taste, but otherwise it needs a lot of spice and salt to get us to pick up anything.”

Vampire’s tastes tend towards what nourishes them, hemoglobin and iron. Beef, cooked rare or blue, would probably be the best substitute Ben could find besides real blood.

Rey is staring at him, eyes curious. “Could you eat then, instead of hunting?”

She’s a curious thing. This is all information that should have been taught to her during her Apprenticeship, a Hunter passing on their knowledge of vampire behaviour and biology. Though Kylo knows well that much of that information is outdated, or straight up wrong. 

Picking up his glass, Kylo takes a moment to consider her question. “No. You’d eventually need blood… but food, especially iron-rich food, can sustain you for a bit.” He picks up a piece of his appetizer, some fried marine animal. He ordered the most spice he could get, though the capsaicin barely registers on his tongue.

Rey takes another bite of her curry. “Y’know, I’m pretty sure there’s a  _ burning _ joke somewhere in there.”

Kylo quirks an eyebrow at her.

“You, eating that.” She gestures towards his plate. “Do you really not taste it?”

“Not really,” he nibbles on the edge of it, his mouth registering the pleasing crispy texture. It’s greasy, and the grease covers his tongue, but without the pleasing satiation he remembers from being human. “It’s blande. The spice helps, a bit, but not much.”

Rey breathes, leaning further back in her chair. It’s not a movement of nervousness, Kylo thinks, but of relaxation. “You ever thought about doing one of those… spice eating competitions? Use it for making bets? You could probably make a fortune.”

His lip quirks up at that. “Maybe,” he concedes. “Never really thought about it, though.”

The conversation lapses somewhat, with Rey digging whole-heartedly into her curry. It leaves Kylo to wonder about her, this strange little Hunter. 

Hunting isn’t exactly something a human just… picks up. It takes focus, dedication, training. There’s a supernatural element to it, like with someone like him. Some humans have a stronger aptitude towards it than others. Some could train their whole lives and never develop any Sight at all, any superior strength and speed.

On top of that, vampires were a closely guarded secret. Despite how famous they had become in pop culture; most humans figured they were a cliche, a myth. Something not real. And the various councils and lords would prefer they stay that way.

So how was Rey a Hunter, with no Master? And how did she even know about vampires to begin with?

“You’re the strangest vamp I’ve ever met.”

Kylo blinks, shaken from his thoughts. “You’ve met a lot of vampires, have you?” He questions, overtly digging for information,  _ anything _ , to explain this strange little thing in front of him.

Instead of answering right away, Rey chews on her petal-soft lip. His eyes zero-in on the action. “No.” She admits. “Not many would want to stop and chat.”

“I suppose not.”

“You never answered, before. About why you were on that dating app.” 

“Well, why were you on it?”

Always quick to jump on the defensive, Rey answers, “I asked you first.”

She’s finished her meal now, Kylo notices. He dreads the end of this conversation, how it will inevitably lead to them parting ways. How he will probably never see Rey again, unless it’s at the end of a stake. “Vampires get lonely too.”

Rey’s eyebrows shoot up towards her hairline. “So you were looking for a hookup?” Maybe he’s imagining things, but she doesn’t sound as disgusted with him as he thought she would.

“Not a hookup,” Kylo says. “Just… just a date.” That familiar sensation creeps up his chest, and Kylo just  _ knows _ that if his body still allowed him to flush, he would. Rey is staring at him again, eyes wide and unblinking as if she’s trying to see into his mind, and he shifts uncomfortably in his seat.

“Right. So no hookup. Got it.”

_ What _ . Why does he feel like he’s missing something here? “I--”

“Are we all finished here?”

The sound of the waitress’ voice nearly causes Kylo to jump. Rey looks equally surprised, her breathing increasing with her scare. A jumpy little thing.

Kylo clears his throat. “Yes, we’re done. One bill, please.”

It might just be his imagination, but with the way Rey is staring at him, he wonders if she thought he was lying about paying for her meal.

* * *

Somehow, they make it outside without killing each other, or alerting the other patrons to the more supernatural qualities of some of the guests. The night air smells cool, although Kylo doesn’t feel the change against his skin. Rey has donned some thick coat, and although he’s disappointed to lose sight of her neck and shoulders, he’s glad that she won’t be cold.

Still, it’s dark. And late. And that strange instinct that has been around in his life not three hours now is making itself apparent. “Do you.. Live around here?” He wants to see her home, makes sure she gets there safe and sound. He doesn’t want the evening to end just yet, wants to bask in her bright and lively presence some more. He doubts they’ll be seeing each other again, after this, and he’s desperate for any scraps he can get.

Rey is instantly suspicious with his question, her body tensing and her scent sharpening with alarm as she stares him dead in his eyes. “Why?”

“No reason,” he’s quick to dodge her implied accusation, but he’s just as quick to beg, it seems. “Well, maybe one reason. How did you get here? Did you drive?”

“Again: why?”

The urge to flinch is strong while she’s looking at him like that. He tries to bite down the urge. “If you want I could… walk you home.”

It was the wrong thing to say, apparently, though Kylo doesn’t know if there was necessarily a  _ right _ thing to say to her. Humans shouldn’t have an instinct to bare their teeth, but Rey apparently does as she takes a step towards him, finger square on his chest. “So you can kill me?”

Kylo’s glad that they’re standing away from most of the traffic of the restaurant. Off to the side of the entrance, in front of an alley, where they’re not likely to be overheard.

“No, of course not,” he answers quickly, a bit out of breath though he technically doesn’t need to breathe. It’s a habit, more than a need, his dead tissue remembering what it was like to be alive.

The way she’s standing so close to him amplifies the differences in their height, Kylo notices. She’s not short, but he’s massive, and her slimness makes her seem smaller than she actually is. Especially like this.

Kylo takes another breath.

“You know how this looks, right?” Rey growls low, staring at him. She barely ever seems to look away from him, watching every nervous tic of his, waiting for a sign when this human mask he wears will come off. He can feel it. “ If you walk me home, you’ll have my address. You can break in at any time, drain me dry, kill me--”

“I don’t want to kill you, Rey.”

His voice is sharp. Not loud, not exactly, but the loudest he’s been so far tonight. 

He can feel that truth in his blood, in whatever's left of his soul.  _ I don’t want to kill you _ . The thought of her injured, of her dead, makes his chest tighten with anxiety, with anger. If there’s only one thing he’s been sure of tonight, it’s that he doesn’t want Rey to get hurt. He doesn’t want Rey to die.

Maybe there’s something she reads in his face, in his voice, because Rey backs off. She stands further back on her heels, where before she had nearly been on her toes, getting as close to his face as she could. She rocks a bit, back and forth, and chews on her lip before speaking again. “Fine.” She finally says to him. “You know what? I don’t care.”

Rey turns from him, then, and Kylo almost reaches out to stop her.  _ No _ . He can’t. This is her decision. He knew this was how things were going to end, eventually. That’s why he had been trying to stall. What had he even been  _ thinking _ , anyway. This entire date, this entire  _ experience _ was always going to end badly. Even back when he thought Kira was just some human, who’s witty texts made him smile, made him dream of some future that was never his to begin with--

“Are you coming, or not?”

He’s not expecting to hear her voice, so it takes a moment to register. Rey had walked a bit away from him, but she had turned back to stare, head quirked to one side in question.

“...What?”

“You said something about wanting to walk me home?” Her voice is soft, a little breathy, but sharpens quickly. “Apparently. Or something. I’m not really sure what you were on about.”

Kylo just about trips over himself to make it to her side. It’s probably embarrassing, how fast he moves. He probably should be more embarrassed than what he is, how he feels. He doesn’t know what exactly about Rey makes him feel so attached so quickly, but he wants to hang around to find out.

Once he makes it to Rey’s side, she begins walking again. He follows, half a step behind her. “You’re very strange.” She says, repeating her earlier observation from dinner.

“For a vampire?”

Is that a ghost of a smile he sees? A quirk of her lips? He can’t be sure. “Not even.” She says, blunt. “You’re just strange. I think it’s just you.”

That causes Kylo to frown. Strange isn’t typically a good thing; no one would argue he’s the most observant of social norms, but even he knows that much. “You’re very strange. For a Hunter.”

She is. Kylo can’t wrap his head around it, around this strange little Hunter who trained herself. It requires dedication, training, meditation, and they’re affected for life. The good ones are, anyway, the ones with an affinity towards it. They become supernatural beings themselves, a perfect weapon against vampires. Increased physical stamina, speed and strength, increased lifespan.

And cursed with being alone, never to truly fit in with humans. Never able to connect, never able to start a family.

It’s a terrible fate. Almost as terrible as being a vampire.

“Well,” Rey answers, “I haven’t exactly had a lot of help.”

Her answer is simply, though it leaves Kylo with far more questions. “Why haven’t you?” He starts, “It’s nearly unheard of for a hunter to not have gone through an apprenticeship. It’s dangerous.” He feels concern wash over him, imagining a scrawny teenager surrounded by much older, stronger vampires, determined to drink her dry. Concern gives way to anger at  _ that _ particular image, and he forces himself to calm down.

Rey gives him a look, eyebrow quirked. “Just because it’s rare doesn’t mean it’s impossible.” Her voice is filled with -- probably earned -- confidence. “Anakin Skywalker did it.”

Kylo stops walking.

“Anakin Skywalker wasn’t real, first of all.” His tone is sharp, and he’s finding it hard to control himself. “He was a myth. And not one you want to emulate.”

Whatever route Rey was taking them, she seems to have had enough sense to steer clear of any foot traffic. A small part of Kylo is grateful for it. Less chance of being overheard.

Rey spins on her heel, graceful, and takes a step towards him. “He  _ was _ real--!”

“No. He wasn’t.” Kylo’s beyond caring about interrupting her. It’s imperative to him that she  _ knows _ this, that she  _ understands _ this. She  _ needs _ to understand. “He was a story. A story to warn young apprentices about the dangers of straying too far from their path.” He takes a step towards her, her face nearly touching his chest. They seem to enjoy getting in each other’s personal bubbles, he vaguely notes. “ Are you familiar with how that story ends, Rey? Are you?”  _ Shut up _ . His mind warns him.  _ Shut up, stop taunting her, you fool _ . “Not well. It’s  _ not _ something you want to emulate.”

After taking a breath and squaring her shoulders at him, Rey begins, “I don’t care--”

“You should.” He’s not yelling. He can’t yell, not around her. His voice is softer, intimate. “He died, Rey. He died alone.” His voice gets softer still when he leans down towards her neck, breathing deep. No, his body doesn’t need air to survive, but the breath brings more of her sunshine scent into his body. She smells sweet, sweet enough to make his head spin. His fangs itch in his mouth. He hasn’t drank from a human in decades, preferring blood banks, but she’s testing him now. “He became a monster.” 

He’s nearly doubled over in his instinct to get closer to her, and his nose drags across the skin of her neck. Blood pumps hard beneath the surface.  _ Alive _ . She smells  _ alive _ . 

“Like me.”

The next thing Kylo knows, his back hits the brick wall behind him  _ hard.  _ He grunts from the impact. Rey is on him, strong, stronger than she looks. One forearm is across his throat, pinning him. The other is digging something sharp between his pectorals.

A stake.

_ Where was she keeping that? _

“I am not a  _ child,  _ you little  _ shit _ .” She hisses at him, digging the stake further into his skin as if to illustrate her point. “You will  _ not _ lecture me like one! You want to be so sure Anakin Skywalker didn’t exist?  _ Fine, _ let’s play this little game of yours.” She’s up on her toes, and Kylo is absolutely transfixed. She seems brighter, her rage drawing him closer. “If he didn’t exist, if he is just a  _ story _ , then that  _ story _ is just a warning by some old, dried up old  _ fools _ to prevent young Hunters from forging their own paths. And if he  _ did _ exist, then he was a fucking  _ human being _ who made mistakes. Mistake which I will not repeat.”

It’s eerily silent, except for the sound of Rey’s breathing. Deep gulps of life-sustaining air filling her lungs.

Her little tirade stirs more memories than Kylo wants to linger on. 

“I hope you’re right, Rey.” He brings up a hand, and he’s  _ finally _ touching her, just a little, through her jacket. His hand wraps around her elbow, the one currently digging a stake into his chest. “I really, really hope you’re right.”

Her eyes drop, and it’s one of the first times tonight Rey hasn’t looked his dead in the eye. He can’t be sure what’s drawing her attention, but she seems to be staring at his mouth. His fangs aren’t out, as far as Kylo knows, so he’s not sure what has her so transfixed.

The moment doesn’t last long, not long enough for Kylo, before Rey seems to shake herself out of whatever spell she’s fallen under. She backs off, and Kylo let’s his hand drop from her elbow.

“I just--” He starts, then pauses. The next time he speaks, his voice is soft, quiet, unwilling to spook a wild animal. “You aren’t invincible, Rey. That’s what I mean. Young Hunters aren’t meant to be alone.” Mistakes happen all the time. Accidents; miscalculations. She should have someone with her, someone to watch her back. “Don’t you have anyone that helps you when you hunt?

She huffs, taking a step away from him to continue their journey home. “No.” She says simply. “I’m alone. I’ve always been alone.”

She says it like a mantra. Like a shield.

“You don’t have to be.”

Kylo falls into step behind her, and he must look like her looming shadow.

“What are you trying to say?” Her words are slow, careful, and she doesn’t look at him.

_ Are you insane? _ Maybe. He must be, really, for what he’s trying to offer is basically unheard of. Is  _ literally _ unheard of. “I could… I don’t know. Come with you. Watch your back.”

Rey stops walking to turn and look at him. It doesn’t have the same intensity as before, and no stake is being pressed to his chest, so Kylo thinks he’s doing better, this time. “You would betray your own kind?” She questions. “ _ Kill _ your own kind? You know what I do, right?”

They’re standing in front of some derelict apartment building. Kylo wonders if this is where she lives. He frowns at the thought.

“Of course I know what you do.” He says, a real smile tugging at his lips. “You had a stake two inches from my heart not ten minutes ago.”

It sounds like he’s joking. They both know he isn’t.

This is the first time during their date Rey has truly looked flustered. She blushes (it causes her scent to spike, again, and  _ oh _ doesn’t she look so pretty with her skin flushed) and she opens and closes her mouth several times, unsure of what to say, or perhaps deciding on what to say. “Why would you want to help me?”

Why? Well, he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about her all week. The muscles in his cheeks hurt from smiling - he’s smiled more from her messages over the stupid dating app then he can ever remember smiling before. He’s been  _ excited _ , excited for tonight. Even before he met her, this dreary cloud of  _ mediocrity _ , of  _ routine _ , felt lifted. Being around her makes him feel light,  _ alive _ , and he hasn’t been able to stop staring at her brightness all night.

Kylo is smart enough to say none of this, however, so he actually answers with, “Maybe I have a masochism streak.”

The flush across Rey’s cheeks deepens considerably, and Kylo’s smile grows wider.

“Be serious,” she says.

He looks her down slowly, starting from her coiled hair, down to the flats on her feet.  _ Smart _ , always prepared for a fight, even while on a date with someone she thought was going to be human. “Maybe the world just needs more people like you.” He answers, honestly.

She blinks at him. “Like me,” she parrots.

“Yes.”

If anything this causes her to blush further. Kylo’s not sure how it’s possible, but he’s not complaining, not when the air is permeated with the scent of her blood.

Then Rey takes a step towards him. “Give me your phone.”

What? He frowns, feeling like he’s missing something. Again. “Excuse me?”

“Phone. Give me. Now.” 

Her aggressiveness surprises him, and he’s left to dumbly reach into his pocket to pull out the requested device.

Rey snags it out of his hand, her movements quick and jerky. She opens it, and navigates it much quicker and easier than someone like him, born and raised well before modern technology. “God, is this thing as ancient as you are, Ben?” She scowls at the offending device like it was personally insulting to her. 

“That’s a very rude thing to say.” He answers automatically, before catching up with current events. “Sorry; what are you doing?”

Rey is either not listening to him, or doesn’t care. Probably both. “Honestly, I’m kind of surprised you even have one.” She’s still typing away, and Kylo is left completely lost to what she’s doing. He has numbers on there, other vampires within his coven, and she probably shouldn’t be looking at that. She could destroy them all with that sort of information. “This doesn’t really go with the whole  _ Tales from the Cryptkeeper _ aesthetic you have going on.”

He has no idea what she’s talking about. “I like the games.” There aren’t any games on there. “Seriously, what are you doing?”

Rey holds his phone back to him, and he takes it. “I put my number in there. And I texted myself, so I’ll have yours.” She looks away, and is she  _ embarrassed, _ Kylo wonders? “I’ll, uh, let you know next time I’m out hunting. Not that you need to come. Of course.”

“...of course.”

“And maybe,” she moves around a lot, when she’s nervous. Or embarrassed, or whatever this emotion is, “Maybe you could text me. Sometime.”

Kylo stares at her, feeling stupid. “We could have used the app.”

“I’m deleting that stupid app,” she says without hesitation. Then she smiles at him, and Kylo feels himself melt just a little. “You should too. Turns out the whole thing is  _ riddled _ with vampires. Never know who you’re going to meet there.”

His heart is beating faster than dead tissue should be beating. He doesn’t know what to say.

Rey turns from him, taking a few steps up to her apartment building. Something must cross her mind though, because she stops and looks at him over her shoulder. “And Ben? You can actually get games on a newer phone, y’know.”

She leaves him standing there, outside her building. It’s well past midnight, though that hardly matters for someone like him. He glances down, unlocking the screen on his phone. 

_ 1 new message - Rey Johnson. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should point out that I've literally never written a multi-chapter fic before. Or one with a plot. Please bear with me.
> 
> Chapter number might go up, uh, we'll see.
> 
> This is an AU, and they're meeting each other at a much different point in both of their lives then they do in canon.


	3. No Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It was you, wasn’t it? Did you get staked?” His voice drops to a whisper, low enough that a human wouldn’t be able to hear. “Or did you get… staked.”
> 
> “Poe, I don’t know what the fuck that means.”

It’s pretty uncommon these days for vampires to have to hunt for their meal. There was a time, before Kylo was turned, where that was how things were done. New progeny’s had to be taught the art of waiting, of being able to scent blood on the air, of manipulating humans into dark, quiet places so they could feed. There was a subtlety to it that was needed ; their kind always had some sort of rule about keeping secrets. It was how they stayed alive, undetected, for so long. Some even had humans who knew about them, who they could go to for a return meal. Those were typically the older vampires; it was almost a status symbol, Kylo had been told. Having a harem of humans, fresh blood on hand.

Luckily the advent of refrigeration changed that. These days, most vampires get their blood from the blood bank. Well, technically they get their blood from the First Order, who controls the supply from the blood banks. It’s easier to control a population if you control their food supply, Kylo was taught, so having such an iron grip on the banks throughout the province.

It also allows vampires to explore their own tastes. Different blood types had different flavours, and nearly everyone had their own preferences. Truly, a luxurious way to live.

“And don’t you give me any of that O-positive shit. It tastes disgusting.”

And some were more grateful for it than others.

“Sorry,” Kylo answers, not deigning to turn around to face his guest. He had automatically grabbed a bag of A-negative from his stores -- Poe’s preferred flavour -- but he doesn’t want to give Poe to get used to  _ random acts of kindness _ . “I didn’t realise I was running a restaurant.”

Poe snorts in response while Kylo pours their preferred blood into cups. No need to be savages about it. “You basically have your own blood bank in here, so don’t you dare sass me back. I know you got the good stuff.”

One of the perks of being such a high rank within the First Order was that Kylo was able to store far more blood on hand than most other vampires in the province. Poe’s statement was not incorrect. 

“A-negative is disgusting.”

“You’re disgusting, jackass,” Poe counters, grabbing the glass cup from Kylo’s hand and taking a long swig, small streams of blood escaping from the corner of his mouth. “Ah, that’s the good stuff.”

Kylo makes a face at him, quickly looking down at his phone to check for any new messages from Rey. It was preferable to watching Poe’s messy table manners.

Poe smiles a bloody smile, completely ignoring Kylo’s obvious disgust. “I take it the date went well?” 

The phone quickly makes its way into Kylo’s pocket instead, and embarrassment coils in his belly at being caught. “What do you mean?”

“You’ve been texting her, haven’t you? I can tell.” Kylo sort of hates the way Poe always seems to  _ know _ him without being told. It’s one of those things that’s bound to happen considering how long they’ve known each other. Since before either was turned.

Their ‘date’ was three days ago, and since then him and Rey had been texting regularly. For one of the first times in his life, Kylo didn’t despise the piece of technology he was forced to keep on his person. He loved it - always checking for updates, though with his enhanced senses there was no way he would miss an alert.

He  _ misses _ her, even though they’ve been texting. He wants to ask when he can see her again, but doesn’t want to crowd her. It’s not like they were  _ together _ .

As much as he craves it.

Still though, any inflation to Poe’s ego was dangerous, and more importantly, annoying. “You don’t know that.”

The only answer Kylo gets from him for a few moments is a knowing smile. Poe makes his way to one of Kylo’s couches and collapses onto it, making himself comfortable, and stressing Kylo out when the blood sloshes violently in the glass, threatening to spill. “Please, you can’t fool me. I haven’t seen you been this happy since…” He trails off, not finishing the sentence.

It’s obvious to Kylo what Poe is going to say, and it makes him uncomfortable. Uncomfortable, to think of  _ the time before _ , when they were young and human and friends.

“Spill,” Poe sits up straighter, placing his elbows on his knees as he leans forward. It’s a pose that says he’s planning to get serious, which in the language of Poe means one thing: gossip. “Did you sleep with her?”

“Fuck off.”

Unfortunately for Kylo, Poe continues undeterred. “See, I can’t tell with you. I don’t know what that means. That could mean you did or you didn’t. You gotta give me more to go on than that.”

He should not elaborate more than that. In all the time he’s known Poe, Kylo’s learned that any talk of relationships, or hookups, should be swiftly and efficiently dropped. For his own sanity. But… “...she was a hunter.”

“HOLY SHIT?”

Kylo flinches.

“And she’s still talking to you? And you’re  _ alive? _ ”

Maybe it was a testament to Kylo how little he actually thought his life - or unlife - was in danger that life. Or maybe it was that he just didn’t care. He doesn’t care much for it, anymore. 

The rambling from Poe continues, and he leans ever forward, conspiratory. “So, who had what inside of  _ whom _ , then?”

“We are not having this conversation.” 

At that answer, Poe leans back, grinning. “It was you, wasn’t it? Did you get staked?” His voice drops to a whisper, low enough that a human wouldn’t be able to hear. “Or did you get…  _ staked _ .”

“Poe, I don’t know what the fuck that means.”

The torture continues. “Well, one’s a wooden stake that goes through the heart. I’m sure you’re familiar; it’s pretty discouraged since you end up dead. Again. The  _ other _ is a  _ silicone _ stake that goes into you--”

“We talked.” He does  _ not _ want Poe to keep talking. No way. “And I walked her home. And she gave me her number. And that’s  _ all _ that happened.”

Which still pretty much made his night, if Kylo was being honest. It surprises him that she’s still texting him regularly, her wit and humour clear through her messages. The only time he doesn’t hear from her is when she’s sleeping. Or at least, that’s what he assumes she does for the eight or so hours of silence during the day. He doesn’t need nearly as much sleep as a human, but he’s still taken to trying to match his own hours of unconsciousness with hers, even if it’s only a few hours.

It hasn’t stopped him from daydreaming constantly about her, easily getting lost in his own fantasies. Having her safe in his space. His apartment -- a high rise in a much richer part of town -- is far nicer than her own. Kylo knows she doesn’t need protection, but he would still like knowing she’s safe.

Especially if she’s safe in his bed.

He shakes his head at that.

“You disappoint me so much,” Poe whines.

“It’s one of the few joys I have left in this unlife, I assure you.”

The conversation lapses, Poe becoming uncharastically quiet. Kylo fidgets, playing with the phone in his pocket. Rey hadn’t texted in over an hour, though it was midday, so she was probably asleep.

It occurs to him how impossible this all is. He’s a vampire; she’s a hunter. Although a relationship between them isn’t completely unprecedented, it has never ended well. He’s heard all the stories, some far closer to home than he would like. 

He’s a high ranking officer within the First Order, the very organization she would be working to dismantle. At best he should cut off their relationship now, while it’s still young and fresh and new. If he was smart, if he was realistic, that would be the smart thing to do. There’s no way this could end without either of them dying.

At the same time… Poe isn’t wrong, as much as it pains Kylo to admit it. He leans forward on the counter, dropping his head. The task of looking up somehow feeling impossible, a heavy weight setting on his shoulders. This is the first time in years - in decades - that he’s been excited. Happy, even, perish the thought. Up until now there’s been a gloom, a darkness that’s been surrounding him. Nothing has felt important. He was a monster, inside and out. That was true when he was a human, too, but it was like he was wearing a mask. Being turned forced him to become true to himself.

He’s a monster. He doesn’t deserve Rey. But she chases away the darkness, the gloom, the malaise that’s been plaguing him since childhood. He’s addicted.

His musings (though Poe would probably use the word  _ brooding _ ) is interrupted by the annoyance himself. “Y’know…” Poe trails off, and his voice is strange. Kylo doesn’t think his friend has ever sounded so serious. So cautious. “This could be your ticket out.”

“Out of where?”

“You know what I mean.”

Kylo does. He doesn’t want to have this conversation of impossible lies. “I really don’t know what you mean.”

“The First Order. Snoke.”

It’s a conversation they’ve had before. It’s not one Kylo ever wants to have again. “There’s no escaping the First Order, Poe.” He says.

Ideally that would be the end of the conversation, and in the past Poe would have dropped the subject. Not today, though. “I have. I’m out.”

Oh, so that’s what’s changed. Kylo feels anxiety swirl in the pit of his stomach, a choking feeling that he dislikes. It’s impossible to escape the First Order. He should know. “And you’re currently sitting on the couch of Snoke’s favourite Commander, and the leader of the Knights of Ren.”

Poe scoffs at that, standing from the couch. He leaves his now finished glass on the coffee table; there’s a ring of blood at the base. “I’m sorry; are you planning on ratting me out? Gonna tell on me, Solo?” There’s clear signs of aggression in his stance as he comes to stand by the counter, opposite of Kylo. The direct eye contact, puffing of the chest, and hint of fangs all indicators of Poe’s unwillingness to back down.  _ Rival. Battle. _

“No,” Kylo bites out. His fangs threatened to elongate at the use of that name. It’s always ‘Solo’ when Poe’s disappointed in him; angry. When anyone was. “That’s not my point.”

“Then what, exactly, is your point.”

“Vampires never get out of the FO. They either join, or they die. You’ve been in the game long enough to know how it works.”

One of Kylo’s duties after all is burning them himself.

Poe snorts, waving a dismissive hand towards Kylo. “It doesn’t have to be like that.”

He’s a fool, Kylo thinks, if there can be any other way. A naive, reckless fool. “The FO is too big, Poe. They’re going to find you. There isn’t anywhere in the province you can go to escape. And when they find you, they’re gonna drag your ass back to Snoke, and there’s no guarantee he’s going to give you another chance.”

Something changes in Poe’s stance; he squares himself to Kylo, raises his chin. “And what, he kills me?” Poe says it like a challenge. “That rat-faced blond kills me?” His voice deepens.  _ “You  _ kill me?”

No.

Yes.

No.

“Could you do it,  _ Ben? _ ” It’s unfair that they’ve known each other for so long, Kylo thinks. Poe, unfortunately, knows his pressure points. “If Snoke asked you to? Could you kill me?” He leans forward, clearly getting in Kylo’s face.  _ “Would _ you kill me?”

The scenario sharpens in Kylo’s mind: Poe, beaten on the floor, coagulated blood crusting over his skin. Snoke realising their connection, their shared history, and forcing Kylo to deal the final blow. He can feel his vision tunnel at the thought, the stress sharpening his nose, his ears. His heartbeat quickens, though it’s dead and there’s no use for that.  _ No _ . No.

“There’s no escaping, Poe. There’s no getting out.”

His voice sounds detached. It doesn’t sound like his voice. It’s not his voice.

But it is?

“You didn’t answer me.” Poe counters, though he sounds far away. 

“Didn’t I?”

He sounds young, even to himself.  _ That’s not me _ .

Poe’s own heartbeat, long since dead, quickens. The increased stress sharpens Kylo’s hearing enough that it sounds like a beating drum echoing through the room. He’s still alive. Poe isn’t dead, beaten and burning on the polished floor of Snoke’s home.

But he’s still a walking corpse. In more ways than one.

It’s all a lie. All of it is lies.

“I don’t want to kill you, Poe.”

“But you would!” Poe spits the accusation like a curse. “You absolutely would. You’d do anything that monster asks of you.”

What was the point in fighting it? Kylo doesn’t understand; he’s never understood Poe. Not really. It’s pointless. His panic and despair give way to anger. “We’re all monsters!” He slams his hands on the counter, hard enough that he can feel the vibrations through the floor. Poe jumps at the sound. Kylo can’t find it in him to care.

_ I’m a monster. I’m a monster. _

He thinks of Rey, suddenly, of her jokes and smiles and hazel eyes. Her entire life is dedicated to wiping out his kind, the monsters that lurk in the shadows. She’s even given up her own humanity to do so, in a way. That’s how evil they are. This young, bright eyed and spirited woman will never have a normal life because of them.

Kylo doesn’t know what he was thinking, texting her. Thinking they could work. Imagining running his fingers through her soft hair, waking up to her petal-soft lips behind his ear. Having his apartment saturated in her rich, sunshine scent. His existence is everything she stands against. They’re impossible.

It takes Kylo a moment to calm down enough to speak again. “Maybe I’m just honest with myself.” He doesn’t understand what the point in fighting against their true nature is, or why Poe insists on lying to himself.

“Oh, fuck you.”

Not the response he was expecting.

Poe makes his way around the counter, getting into Kylo’s space properly. “Do you want the truth,  _ Ben _ , about what I really think?” Not particularly, but he doubts there’s anything he can say that would stop Poe. Not this time. “I think you’re scared,” Poe jams his finger into Kylo’s chest hard enough that he actually stumbles back a step or two. It shocks him, and strangely, reminds him of Rey. “I think you’ve built it up in your head that you deserve all of this. It doesn’t matter what evil deeds you commit, because  _ you’re _ evil. It’s in your  _ nature _ . You don’t need to  _ choose _ . Well, you know what,  _ Ben? _ We aren’t all monsters. We aren’t  _ evil _ , or whatever bullshit Snoke’s been filling your head with. Being a  _ vampire _ doesn’t make Snoke evil. Snoke’s  _ actions _ make him evil.”

Kylo’s head feels like it’s spinning. Is this shock? He doesn’t know.

He doesn’t know what to say, so he doesn’t say anything. In fact, Kylo doesn’t know if he  _ could _ speak. His mouth feels like sandpaper, like he didn’t just drink a day’s worth of blood.

While he stands there, Poe turns from him, heading to the foyer to collect his things. “So I’m getting out. I’m already out.” Should Kylo move, follow him? He doesn’t know what to do in this situation, besides to stand still and continue to listen to Poe speak. “I have plans, and goals. I’m done with this life. I’m done living like some disease, hating myself. Just because I’m undead doesn’t mean I can’t  _ live _ .” 

Heavy footsteps signal Poe’s return back to the living area. He’s dressed to leave, heavy dark clothes to shield him from the sun, stop it from sapping his strength. Poe’s eyes soften, the  _ sentimental _ fool.

“Ben,” Poe starts, “It’s not too late for you, either. I’ve made contact with some people, we could just  _ leave _ , you and I--”

The pain is blinding.

As in, Kylo literally goes blind for moments. He vaguely hears Poe in the background as his vision whites out, and he’s pretty sure he’s ended up on the floor, but Kylo can’t be sure. His body feels numb, the sharp, lancing pain through his head nearly making him sick.

_ Come, Kylo Ren. Come to me. _

It feels like it lasts minutes, hours, though realistically it probably only lasted a few seconds. Kylo’s aware enough of his Master’s call.

When his vision returns, Kylo is on his back. He’s staring up at Poe’s face, his friend holding him by the shoulders. Poe looks scared, concerned.

“That’s him, isn’t it?” Poe asks.

“Yeah,” Kylo speaks through gasping breaths. He doesn’t understand his body’s need for air. He shouldn’t need air, except to speak. Why does it  _ constantly _ need so much air? A useless habit. “Yeah… it’s him. I need to go.”

Poe helps him stand on shaking, unsteady legs. Helps him to the foyer to grab his own things. “You don’t need to go to him.” Poe tells him, hand on his shoulder. Kylo can scent his concern in the air. “You can leave. You can escape.”

Out of the two of them, Poe had always been the optimistic one. The charismatic one. He shouldn’t have ended up in this situation at all -- it was Kylo’s fault he got turned -- and yet he’s never blamed him. Has always been smiles and hope and joy.

So Poe doesn’t understand. There isn’t any way he can understand.

“I really can’t.” Kylo answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My original notes for this fic were "a cross between Buffy and What We Do In The Shadows, something light and funny." I think I took a wrong turn somewhere.
> 
> Once again, I have no beta or anything, so all mistakes, pacing issues, grammar issues, etc, are my own.
> 
> This chapter was actually supposed to be longer, but I cut out a few scenes. It's pretty exposition heavy (though I tried to introduce things organically? Which didn't really work but whatever) but uh, yeah. Hopefully enjoyable.
> 
> No Rey in this chapter, but that'll be fixed next. I miss her.
> 
> Find me on twitter @dustdulune. I post way too much about my cats.


	4. The Lies We Tell Ourselves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She doesn’t want to think about Ben, about his soft eyes. How her chest fluttered with some unknowable emotion when he looked at her. His face almost filled with awe when she pinned him against the wall of that alley, stake digging into his wide, solid chest.
> 
> Stop, he doesn’t matter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The great and wonderful Kaylee (@dxrthrevan) made a moodboard for me. Check it out.

It’s been a full day since she’s heard from him. In fact, it’s been twenty-five hours, but who’s counting. Rey checks her phone for the millionth time, annoyed because of the impulse and even more annoyed when she sees there’s no new messages. Of course there’s no new messages - she even set her phone on  _ vibrate  _ instead of  _ silence _ , so she wouldn’t need to obsessively check it to know if he’s answered her. Yet she still does, worried she may have gotten distracted enough not to notice the vibration in her pocket.

It’s  _ stupid _ , Rey thinks. Absolutely so stupid for her to get this hung up about it. 

She kicks a rock with far more force than she should. It goes flying, hitting a trash receptacle and making a small dent in the side. The sound reverbs around the street, echoing off the buildings in the downtown core. A few people - humans, not vampires - turn their heads in alarm, trying to find the source.

Whoops.

It’s late afternoon, and downtown is  _ packed _ with people. Of course it is -- it’s rush hour, nearing dusk, the sun setting earlier in the cool of autumn. And Rey is hunting.

And  _ not _ thinking about Ben.

This is part of her routine, to start around these blocks in the evening. Vampires  _ can _ go out during the day; they don’t combust when a few stray rays of sunlight hit their skin. UV radiation drains them exponentially, however, so most prefer to stay indoors during the light of the day anyway. Resting. Waiting.

She’s found getting an early start helpful, allowing her to scope out the area and blend into the crowd. Sometimes a particularly stupid vampire will choose  _ her _ as it’s next meal. Those times make her job incredibly  _ easy _ . Able to lead it away and kill it with little worry about any human’s safety.

That’s somewhat rare, however, and typically she needs to work a little harder than  _ that _ to kill the bastards. 

Years of dedication, training, study, and meditation have sharpened her senses, her strength. Numerous rituals (performed by herself -- unorthodox, typically unadvisable, but necessary, in her situation) gifted her with her own supernatural abilities, the ones afforded to a Hunter. 

One of those was Sight.

Useful, incredibly so. The ability to pick vampires out of a crowd of hundreds, thousands. Their eyes…  _ shine _ . Like a cat’s eye in a photograph. Rey is nearly undetectable to them. 

Unless she was bleeding -- Hunter’s blood is like a beacon to them. Highly sought after, enhancing their own strength to unimaginable levels.

(She remembers walking into the restaurant, excited for her first real  _ date _ . A Hunter’s life isn’t one that’s meant to be shared, not really. There’s no time for love or relationships, your attachment supposed to be tied with other Hunters. But she was rejected, alone, and maybe that’s why she installed the stupid dating app in the first place. Only to be met by Ben’s glowing eyes.)

(They looked like honey. Like sunlight.)

(Pretty.)

(What did she do wrong? Why hasn’t he messaged her back?)

Her thoughts, thankfully, are interrupted.

Vampires.

She sees them now.

The sun is nearly down on the horizon, casting the city in twilight. Two of them, young men who look as if they’re planning on spending the evening at a bar somewhere, joking and laughing. Their eyes shine a deep, matching red while they laugh and chat and appear for all the world to be normal, regular humans.

Rey knows better.

She falls into step some ways behind them, following a random crowd of people. Two vampires wouldn’t be difficult to take out, not for her, but she needs to wait until they’re away from people, witnesses and potential casualties.

The pair head west, and then turn south. Normally Rey hunts them while they hunt another, but this behaviour of theirs doesn’t say  _ hunt _ . They don’t seem to be tracking prey, no sniffing of a lingering blood type in the air.

Their behaviour is unusual. Rey’s not sure what to make of it. She follows them, continuing south, going farther and farther away from downtown proper. Where were they going?

There’s not much out this way. The shipyards are south, though there’s not much activity out there, not these days and certainly not this late in the evening. It doesn’t make sense for them to be out this way.

_ What are you doing _ ?

If not tracking, then what?

_ Vrrb. Vrrb. _

It’s almost embarrassing how quickly she whips her phone out of her pocket, swiping to answer without even checking the ID. Rey doesn’t want to think about the implications.

“Rey?” Rose says.

It’s not him. Rey manages her disappointment as she does with all things.  _ Don’t think about it _ .

“Talk to me.”

“Aw, not even a  _ hello? _ ” Rose laughs, and Rey smiles despite herself. “I thought we had something special once, you and I…”

Rey turns off on a random side street, heading east. The mystery of the shipyards will be saved for another day. “And that’s my fault, how? You’re the one who ran off and got a girlfriend; leaving me all alone.”

“A girl could always use a mistress?”

Ever the flirt. “Sorry, babe, not my style.” Rey makes her way to the closest main road she knows of, already heading back to base. “What’s up?”

“Big boss was asking about you, if you aren’t busy,” Rose says. “We’ve gotten some leads you might find interesting.”

“Leads?”

“Can’t say more over the phone, I’m afraid. You never know who’s listening these days. In-person only.”

Software isn’t Rey’s specialty, especially security, but she knows enough to trust Rose on that. “Alright, I’ll be there soon. Thanks for the head’s up.”

* * *

The Resistance base is about as subtle as can be. It’s a small, detached house, rare for a city the size of Naboo. Small historic neighbourhoods remain throughout the city, fighting against the constant construction and expansion. Rey isn’t sure how Leia managed to acquire it, only that the woman has owned it for a very, very long time.

There’s a certain sense of camaraderie that the Resistance fosters. Rey understands it -- they’re all here for a purpose, all having been affected in some way by the plague of vampires. Left alone, traumatized, questioning what they know and what they don’t. How do you explain to those around you that this mythical creature, so thoroughly butchered by pop-culture, actually exists?

The answer is: you don’t. 

Most members became isolated after their personal “incidents”, unable to cope, until Leia found them and brought them home. Rey hasn’t known of the Resistance for very long, but she knows just how much it’s expanded, Leia acquiring different houses throughout the city to house and feed members who would have been homeless otherwise, or who want to devote their time fully to the cause. The cause of vampire extinction, of eradication of the first order, of protection of humans.

It’s home for them, it’s home to all the members.

Rey isn’t a member, it’s not her home.

She’s never worked in a “traditional” job, but she wonders, briefly, what a “workplace” feels like. The Resistance base, with its homey brick architecture and classic family-home appearance probably doesn’t fit, in the traditional sense. Rey knows the inside is warm; lived-in. Some people live there permanently, some people just come to discuss missions or vampire activity. There are blankets and clothes, a full fridge welcome to anyone who’s hungry. The house is always filled with laughter, with members playing random games or chatting amongst themselves.

Is that what a home is supposed to feel like?

Rey isn’t sure.

She briefly wonders, then, if maybe there’s something wrong with her. She’s already in the yard, walking up the steps of the wall-manicured lawn and garden. She doesn’t feel relaxed here -- you’re supposed to, in a home, aren’t you? That’s what she’s heard.

But Rey doesn’t even feel relaxed in her own apartment. Some run-down place she barely sleeps in, that she shares with two human roommates she doesn’t know.

Maybe there is something wrong with her, after all. Maybe she was never supposed to have that in the first place.

“Rey!”

The house is always too busy for Rey to get in without someone spotting her. Kaydel Connix waves at her from the kitchen, giving Rey a warm, welcoming smile that she returns.

“I can’t believe it!” Kaydel makes her way towards Rey, and leans in to give her a hug. Rey returns it, only a little stiff and awkward. “It’s been too long!”

“Hey, Kaydel,” Rey greets, “Is Leia around?”

“Yeah, she’s been looking for you.” Kaydel frowns then, looking somewhat in thought. “It’s been  _ months _ , Rey, how have you been?”

“Uh…” Rey’s not sure what to say. It’s been months because she only visits when Leia has a job for her. Otherwise, there’s no point. “Maybe we could save this for later…”

Kaydel rolls her eyes at that, but she still smiles. “Fine! Fine,” she steps aside, heading back to finish whatever she was doing in the kitchen. “You know you could always hang out here, right? Even if we don’t have a job for you. You could even live here, if you wanted to? We always have room for you, Rey.”

The offer makes something twist uncomfortably in Rey’s stomach. Perhaps Leia asked Kaydel to bring this up with Rey, next time she was around. Apparently Kaydel is distantly related to Leia, though Rey isn’t sure exactly how. Of course the Resistance would want her to live here -- having a Hunter at their beck and call, someone always on hand to investigate any disturbance Rose finds.

It sounds more like a job than an offering of home.

Is there even a difference, especially in a place like this?

The conversation hangs for a moment before Rey speaks again. “Maybe; I’ll think about it.” She probably won’t, but it sounds better than an outright rejection. “Where’s Leia?”

“She’s downstairs with Rose. They’ve been down there all day.”

“Okay,” Rey nods, “thanks, Kaydel.”

It takes some maneuvering to get to the basement without breaking anything. The house always feels “overstuffed”, almost ready to burst. It’s a bit uncomfortable.

The basement is dark, and mostly unfinished. Rose is here, because she almost never leaves. Her silhouette is illuminated by the light of five different monitors. 

“Rose?”

Said woman spins in her chair, bounding out of it to run and give Rey a hug. “You made it!” Rose pulls back, seemingly to examine Rey’s face, and Rey wonders how much she can see in the darkness. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in months!”

Why has everyone been saying that? “It hasn’t been that long.”

“Hasn’t it?”

“Keep teasing her like that, Rose, and you might scare our favourite Hunter for a few more months yet.”

The voice comes from Leia, standing in the doorway to her office, watching Rose and Rey with a warm smile. 

Rose audibly gasps. “No way! Never! Rey loves me!”

“You wanted to see me, boss?”

“Rey, the day I become  _ your _ boss will be an excellent day indeed.” So, Kaydel was offering a job, then. “Come with me to my office; I need to speak to you.”

The two share a look as Leia leaves them, Rose dropping her hands from Rey’s shoulders. “Go on, you. We’ll catch up later,” she promises.

Leia’s office is across from Rose’s setup. It’s a bit cramped - the entire house is - with bookshelves lining the walls, and a heavy wooden desk on one end. It’s warm, covered in earth tones. Rey almost feels suffocated, here. She closes the door behind her.

Once the  _ click! _ of the door signals their privacy, Leia starts, “how have you been, these past few weeks?”

“Fine.”

Clearly it’s not the answer Leia is looking for. “I worry about you, you know. No Hunter should be on their own like you are.”

The phrase immediately brings Ben to the forefront of her mind.  _ Young Hunters aren’t meant to be alone. _ She feels the familiar sting of defensiveness in her chest, at the back of her throat. “So I keep hearing.”

People will say that. Will say such bullshit like  _ you shouldn’t do this alone _ and  _ you can’t do this alone _ , but at the end of the day no one helps her. People will feign niceties about how  _ hard _ she works, and leave her alone all the same. Rey grits her teeth.

She can’t stand it.

_ Get lost, girl. I won’t train you. _

_ The Resistance needs you! I need you! _

_ Then you better pray for a swift death, if I’m to be your last hope. _

The way Leia stares at her makes Rey uncomfortable, and she shifts. Such expressive brown eyes, they almost see right through her. Oddly, they remind her of Ben.

_ Stop thinking about him. It doesn’t matter that he hasn’t messaged. That’s not important. Stop. _

“Who have you heard that from, before?” Leia asks, her voice soft.

“Nothing,” Rey says quickly, “nevermind.”

She doesn’t want to think about Ben, about his soft eyes. How her chest fluttered with some unknowable emotion when he looked at her. His face almost filled with awe when she pinned him against the wall of that alley, stake digging into his wide, solid chest.

_ Stop, he doesn’t matter _ .

Even not accounting for her  _ non-existent feelings _ , the Resistance would rather see Ben skewered and burnt to a crisp than… than…

_ Than his hands, so large and strong, cupping her cheeks, thumbs stroking her cheekbones as he leans down, down. So much bigger than she is, so much wider. Plump lips descending, pressing against her own, as a shower of sparks burst through her body-- _

Rey wonders if she will have to kill him. It’s her job, after all, to do so. She wonders if she even can.

She says none of this, obviously.

Leia just frowns at her, but blessedly pries no further. “We’ve been receiving reports of increased vampiric activity in the south end of the city, near the shipyards. Have you heard anything?”

Oh.

“Before Rose called me, I was tracking two vamps heading in that direction.” Perhaps it was a good thing she called off the chase when Rose called, lest she come across a den. “They were young, and freshly fed. Do you think they’re First Order?”

Leia leans back in her chair, the old leather creaking from the movement. “It doesn’t follow the protocol that one of their breeding dens  _ should _ follow, and I doubt they would so drastically change their style now. But a congregation of that size won’t escape their notice, all the same. The last thing we need is that many vampires joining the First Order.”

There’s a manila folder on Leia’s desk, and she pushes it towards Rey. It’s thick, and heavy. Rose must have been researching for quite some time. “How many?”

“By our estimates? At least five parents, and from the activity we’re estimating seven children.”

So, twelve in total. Far too many for Rey to burst in and take them all herself, though she’s loath to admit it. Newly turned vamps -- children -- are actually more dangerous than their adult counterparts. The human blood lingering in their veins making them stronger, faster, and it could take weeks, months for their consciousness to set back in. They are feral, inhuman.

_ You thought that about all vampires, once. You thought they just learned to fake being human. Some old memory of how to smile and laugh. You used to think they were all monsters. Strange how a pretty face is so quick to change your opinion. _

_ Shut up _ .

The voice in her head sounds suspiciously like Luke. Rey ignores it.

“And you’re looking to take them out?” Rey doesn’t know why she feels the need to clarify this  _ (yes, you do) _ as she flips through the folder: it contains blueprints, weak points in the structures, schedules of all the observed vampires making their way through the den. It’s one of the reasons Rey continues to do work for the Resistance -- Rose, and Leia, and the others can handle the grunt work, and just  _ give _ her the information she needs. The research is worth its weight in gold.

Leia gives her a look that Rey can’t read. “I don’t want them getting in the hands of the First Order.”

Rey remembers calling Ben a murderer, there, in the restaurant. His sunlight-honey eyes glowing brightly. 

Part of her wonders just how different they are, then. She’s given up her life, for this, and there’s no going back. She kills  _ (murders) _ because it’s all she can do, now.

“Alright,” Rey says, tucking the folder under her arm. “Consider it done.”

She moves towards the door, but barely makes it a step before Leia interrupts. “Rey, wait.”

Rey stops, glancing at the older woman over her shoulder.

Strange, Rey thinks, how such a petite woman, hair long since greyed, can command such a presence.

Leia stares at her, and Rey stares back, unblinking. “Remember who the monsters are, Rey.” She says, “Remember that they don’t deserve our sympathy. Remember why we’re doing this.”

It’s like a slap to the face. Like Rey was just dunked in a bucket of ice water. She can’t help but think that somehow, Leia _ knows _ .

She shifts, uncomfortable, feeling guilt curling up her throat. “I haven’t forgotten. I know what I need to do.”

Rey’s voice is hard as stone. Leia, somehow, looks… disappointed. Rey doesn’t know why.

“Of course,” Leia says, fiddling with something on her desk. “You’ll do whatever you think is necessary. Good luck.”

* * *

“Holy shit, she is offering you so much money for this one.” Rose says, already digging through the bag of takeout.

It’s nearly morning, and the sky is turning a lovely shade of purple as the sun rises. Rey has a hard time describing it, but it’s nice all the same. 

Her and Rose used to do this often, when Rey first started doing work for the Resistance. Sitting outside on the back steps of the house, watching the sunrise, joking and laughing while they chow down on whatever they ordered. Burgers and fries, this time, with the addition of milkshakes for dessert. 

“So why exactly did you insist on paying for this, again? We could have split it!”

Rose smiles at her, picking at the lost and forgotten fries left at the bottom of the bag. “Oh, it’s my treat! I never get to see you anymore.” She nearly puts her head in the bag, determined to find every fry. Rey just picks at her own meal, watching. “Think of it as payment for all the hot goss’ I’m about to hear about your life.”

Rey laughs at that, taking a bit of her burger. Mmm, beef and bacon and cheese. “You overpaid.”

“See, I even missed your jokes! Don’t hold back now.” Rose has apparently given up on her goal to get every fry, and has started drinking her milkshake, leaving the burger for later. “Hey, does this count as breakfast, or dinner?”

“Dinner, I think, we haven’t slept yet.” Rey gobbles most of her burger down in only a few bites, eating quickly. “Why don’t you start? I need to know how much gossip I’m gonna need to pull out of my ass for this.”

Rose doesn’t say much right away, humming in thought. “Jannah has been asking me to move in with her.”

“What?!”

“She really doesn’t like that I’m always in the basement, that I basically  _ live _ at work. That I don’t…”

The thought hangs in the air; Rose doesn’t have to finish it. Rey understands.

Everyone in the Resistance has their own story, how they came here. Rey doesn’t know everyones, doesn’t  _ care _ to know, but Rose is probably the only one here Rey actually considers to be a friend. 

She remembers Rose, telling her through hushed tears in the dead of night, while they were alone. How her older sister disappeared one night, presumed dead, taken by vampires. How Rose developed agoraphobia after, too fearful to leave the base. How Rose feels almost swallowed by guilt, how she confessed to Rey that she felt like a selfish  _ coward _ , that nothing even  _ happened _ to her,  _ why _ should she be so  _ afraid _ .

She hasn’t been able to leave the house since, the backyard being as far as she can go without panic attacks setting in.

“It’s so soon for her to be asking, though, isn’t it?” Rey is quick to change the subject, to try and normalize the conversation. “Haven’t you two only been dating, for what, a month?”

Rose gives her a look.

“What?”

“Rey… it’s been four months.”

Which means it’s been almost four months since Rey had been back at the Resistance base. Which makes sense, considering her dwindling funds, and why everyone acted as if she was a ghost. “When do people usually move in with each other, then?”

This time to look Rose gives her is accompanied by the dropping of her jaw. 

_ “What?” _

Rose stumbles over her words, somewhat, looking for the right ones. “You’ve… haven’t you… How long have your relationships been?”

Ah, this awkward line of conversation. Rey bites her lip. “I’ve never had one.”

“Seriously?!”

“I haven’t had time,” is all Rey says.

The Hunter lifestyle is not one conducive to maintaining healthy relationships. It’s filled with off-hours, with violence. She could barely consider herself human anymore, really, and she would long outlive any human she chose to be with, unless a vampire were to kill her.

And even if that weren’t the case, Rey is not unaware of how she is. She’s cold, and distant, and prickly; prone to anger and defensive. Coping mechanisms born from a lifetime of abandonment and neglect. Even if she were human, she doubts anyone could put up with her long enough to be around her.

Rose doesn’t seem to notice Rey’s introspection, and continues speaking, “well, I guess there’s no set time, really. Some people make rules, or guidelines, but it depends on the relationship, and on the people. We have a pretty unconventional lifestyle here. You never know… when…”

When you’ll die, is what Rose doesn’t say.

“Will you move in with her?” Rey asks.

Rose takes a second to think, finishing her strawberry milkshake. “Probably not. Not right now. There’s just… too much to do. Jannah is annoyed with the lack of privacy -- and sunlight -- but she understands. I hope.”

“She should.”

“Enough about that though, what have you been up to?”

Her phone feels heavy in her pocket. It’s been silent throughout the night, though Rey hasn’t checked it obsessively, not wanting to raise suspicion. “I… met someone.”

That causes Rose to visibly perk up. “Did you really? You?!”

“We went on a date…”

“You’re dating someone?!”

That leaves a bitter taste in Rey’s mouth. “I didn’t say that.”

“Alright, well, what are you saying, then?”

It’s hard to explain. Rey’s not even sure she knows what she’s saying.

Would she? What would dating even be like, for someone like her? What would dating her  _ sworn _ enemy even be like.

Impossible, not worth thinking about. “We aren’t dating. We aren’t together.”

“Oh,” Rose says, finishing up her dinner. The sun is almost fully above the horizon, now, the warmth kissing Rey’s skin. “Bad date, then? What happened?”

“It wasn’t… bad.”

“You’re being awfully dodgy.”

_ When isn’t she _ , Rey can almost hear Rose think. It’s impossible to explain the situation -- Rey can’t tell Rose that Ben’s a vampire, but she finds she can’t speak ill of him, either. “It was fine, good. We aren’t dating. We’ve been talking, but…” She fiddles with her phone, again, still in her pocket.

“But?” Rose prompts, when it’s clear Rey was not about to finish her sentence.

“I thought it was going well,” Rey finally admits. It's hard, she finds, to say this out loud. “We were texting a lot, after. But it’s been over a day since he’s responded and now I’m not sure. Maybe I did something wrong--”

“Rey.”

“Maybe he’s lying and isn’t actually interested--”

“Rey!”

Her spiral is halted for another day. “Huh?”

Rose almost looks like she’s laughing at her. Rey can’t find it within herself to be insulted by it. “It’s been a day. Chill.”

“But we had been texting non-stop up until then--”

Apparently Rose feels a stronger intervention is needed. She puts her hand on Rey’s shoulder, trying to ground her. “That doesn’t mean he doesn’t like you.” Her voice is soft, comforting. “That doesn’t mean you did anything wrong. People have lives. Just… give it some time. Text him again. Something probably came up. You shouldn’t worry too much about it.”

It makes sense, Rey thinks. Of course it makes sense. But that doesn’t help the familiar sting of anxiety, swirling into anger and defensiveness. “Maybe you’re right.” She concedes.

“Of course I’m right.” Rose laughs at that, patting Rey’s shoulder. “And, hey. I’m glad you found someone. I’m worried about you. You’re always alone. People aren’t meant to be alone all the time, y’know?”

Not this old conversation again. “I’ve always been that way, though,” she argues. “It’s fine, I’m fine--”

“You’re not,” Rose interrupts, eyes bright and knowing. “But that’s okay. You don’t need to open up to me. Just… open up to somebody, okay?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter stuffed me into a locker and stole my lunch money, sorry.
> 
> I'm too tired to even edit it so fjhkds sorry all mistakes are mine, as always.
> 
> Not a lot of action, but I think it was important to get some insight into vamps and the resistance here, as well as Rey's relationships with everyone. Unreliable narrator much? Our baby's traumatized. Who isn't.
> 
> Anyway I'm very tired. Find me on twitter @lunarsith.


End file.
